That’s what my refrigerator magnet says on my refrigerator. It reminds me that yes I have been through alot of difficult challenges in my life, but it also speaks about my ability to move beyond that and to thrive! Yes THRIVE! I love that word! It contains such power, magic, and possibility. I really want to connect in this way with myself, get out of my own way, and shine out in the world. Now I feel I am the healthiest I have ever been and I feel great!

When I was at the women’s retail store and wellness sanctuary and taking the Life GPS course I see that the course has helped me be sharper in focus on what I really want in life. I felt the day I started the course 14 weeks ago I was way off course. The man who runs the Life GPS course is a Life Coach by the name Rick Paddock. He is intensely beautiful and highly sensitive guy. I don’t really trust guys in general. Though I felt I could trust Rick and I talk alot to him. Rick sponsored me for NAMI Walks where I raised $285 in my very first walk. He took great joy when I explained how well things went with NAMI Walks that it was a great celebration of both my physical and mental health recovery. When I was walking the walk by myself because the group walked much faster ahead than I, I talked to the Creator and expressed gratitude about all the good in my life. I am grateful for all the things that Creator does and doesn’t do. I filmed my walk as I was walking NAMI Walks but the camera was bouncing with every step I take. So I don’t know how I can make it work to get a video on the net with it. I was thinking about using the footage in the park and narrating over talking about some of thoughts and prayers that came to me as I walked the walk. So, Rick is a huge supporter of mine. He leaves me really heartfelt emails and hugs me alot. He listens to me when I talk about my novels, he says I am an empath, and that I am highly sensitive. He speaks highly of me to Dani the store owner and said he really thinks I am something special and wants to work closer with me. Rick is concerned I don’t always put my needs first and that I give too much to other people because I am a caregiver. He is right about that, I have a hard time telling people what I need. He gets excited when I tell him about my creative dreams and the creative projects I have been working on or developed. During the last session we were talking about the Tree of Life and I latched into wanting to define my Life Purpose which the handout says is the trunk of the tree. I had all kinds of questions about that and he was helping me to clarify that. He said he has a Life Purpose exercise he wants to bring into the course next month. After the last LIFE GPS course he surprised me by asking me to write or make a video testimonial for him for his website. I am so honored he asked me to do that. Which is really great. I shared my history of being abused by men, I told him having a positive male relationship helps me to heal my female spirit.

Yes, that is a step I took to become. I also wrote a book titled “Resentments” which I finally expressed all the things and people that I was angry about. Usually, I never really expressed my anger. I just bottled it up and wasn’t even aware that I was angry. I experienced alot of injustices in my life. I wasn’t allowed a sacred space growing up to freely express my emotions. But today I now give myself that gift. I am so grateful that I can let this all go. That I can honor my feelings and now reach towards forgiveness. This book I worked on for over a year and has become a life transforming experience. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I was able to clean out the cup and be empty to receive all the love and good in this world in my life. I am open and receptive. I am free.

I was recently driving up from DC to NJ and saw this quote on a bumper sticker, “She didn’t just survive… she became” I was moved and empowered all at the same time. The more I read the more moved I have become…